Yet more bad news for the PSP:Go according to Greg Miller: Sony representatives have told IGN that “[they] were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons, we will not be offering the program at this time”

Hit the jump for some evaluation of this news…

As you might be aware, the PSP:Go has no disc drive and will only play downloaded files, Sony had been talking about plans to enable the conversion of UMDs into digital files, this will no longer occur.

Essentially existing PSP users will need to keep hold of their current PSPs if they wish to be able to continue to use their UMD library. For those who have been PSP owners from day one, who have built up a substantial catalogue of games, this is going to be a big issue when it comes to deciding whether or not to upgrade to the PSP:Go. With its $250 dollar price tag of the PSP:Go investing in a Go is already a expensive undertaking without having to repurchase a whole plethora of games.

As Gamerlimit has reported recently, several major retailers will not be stocking the PSP:Go, when taking that into account with this new developement things are looking a bit bleak for the handheld, and it hasn’t even lauched yet.

In Europe (just Europe), they are offering 3 free downloadable titles with the PSPgo upgrade, but you can only pick from a list of 17 games. You stick the UMD in your ORIGINAL PSP then get a code over the PSN store. Then you log onto your new PSPgo and download it. That doesn’t suck completely at all! Oh wait…

Yeah. I have a PSP fat and a PSP-2000 slim, and I wouldn’t dream of purchasing one of these. I have over 20 UMD games with many of them classics, like Metal Gear Portable Ops. If I can’t play that, I’m not interested in a new system.

Just another misstep by Sony’s less than stellar current generational maneuvers. But I just can’t even seem to wrap my mind around this – its baffling that Sony would expect this of their community. I’ve owned a PSP for nearly three years now (Fat), and although I’ve used my 1337 h4x0r skills on it for CFW, i’ve still got a hefty UMD collection to go along with it. And now not only should I be buying a new $250 piece of hardware, I also need to shell out an equal or more amount to move my library digitally?

No thanks, I’m good on the “new hotness.” Its things like this that make me feel that piracy is always the answer.